


Sweet Little Disaster

by probablyajedi



Series: Jaylah Meets World [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Adoption, Culture Shock, Deltans, Father-Daughter Relationship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Starfleet Academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8504083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/probablyajedi/pseuds/probablyajedi
Summary: Jaylah has never been to a place quite like Starfleet Academy. For starters, there are so many people of all races and genders. This would be awesome if it wasn’t absolutely terrifying. These are the kinds of situations that you can’t simply punch your way out of. Hopefully Scotty can help her find her way.





	1. Brave New World

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I’ve been working on this for ages to destress from my recent exams. How better to destress than to write about how stressful college is!? (shoot me now) Jaylah is my baby and Scotty is her awesome kilt wearing dad. Fight me! I dare you! More notes later…

Chapter 1: Brave New World

                Jaylah fidgeted in her seat as the shuttle prepared to dock. She’d spent a large portion of the journey looking out the window, Scotty had let her have the window seat. She’d also spent a considerable amount of time listening to her new music player and reading her engineering texts. Scotty had spent most of the journey reading over the specs of the new Enterprise refits and napping. Only a week ago, Jaylah had been living in a lent out room at the Yorktown Station and spending all her new found “fun time” with the crew of the Enterprise. Uhura had seen fit to take her shopping for new clothes when the news of her acceptance to Starfleet had spread around the room. Scotty had been beaming about it like the proudest father in the galaxy and telling anyone who would listen.

                “Lassie. We’re preparing to dock now.” Jaylah nodded and shut down her PADD and player. She stowed them in the messenger bag that Doctor McCoy had gifted her. It had many pockets and a few sporty patches with ironic sayings that Jaylah did not fully understand. As the shuttle breached the atmosphere the colors she saw out the window went from orange to red to yellow. Finally, after nothing but fire, she could see endless blue beauty.

                “Water.” Jaylah gasped. Scotty grinned.

                “Aye lass. Earth is mostly water. But in a wee moment, you’ll see San Francisco.” Jaylah nodded, enthused. The water gave way to a horizon of tall buildings like the ones in Yorktown. They reached toward the sky with glittering glass and steel. A massive red suspension bridge appeared before her view and she smiled.

                “Is that the Golden Gate Bridge?” Scotty nodded and reached over her to point out a cluster of buildings.

                “And that’s Starfleet Academy. You can see the bridge every day on your way to class. You can even walk it if you like.” She liked very much.

                “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to San Francisco.” The automated voice announced their arrival in the Starfleet hangar. Jaylah practically ran over the rest of the passengers to get outside of the shuttle. Once outside she gasped at the vastness of the hanger. It was too large to describe and filled with shuttles just like the one she’d been on. Scotty caught up to her easily and laughed.

                “Ready to find our luggage?”

***

                Never in her life has Jaylah felt so excited and ready to throw up all at once. Well, this isn’t totally true. She felt this way once, long ago. She doesn’t dwell. This is different. This is so much better. She and Scotty carry her stuff into her brand new dorm room. Captain Kirk had pulled a few strings to get her a single room despite freshmen not being allowed such a privilege. Her luggage sat on the floor by the single bed. There was no window, but that could be easily remedied with a poster or two. In one of her bags was a small collection of wrapped gifts from the rest of her crewmates that she had yet to open.

                “Well, I’m famished. Care to see the sites for a bit before you unpack?” Jaylah nodded and followed him out into the hall. She was so hasty she nearly collided with a young bald woman.

                “Oh! So sorry! I wasn’t looking!” The bald girl had a friendly smile and an interesting headband with dangly jewels on it.

                “That’s ok. I should have been paying attention.” Jaylah took in the woman’s bejeweled tunic and black pants.

                “Are you moving into this room?” Jaylah nodded.

                “Wow! I’m your neighbor across the hall. My name is Kiva.” She held out a hand, which Jaylah shook like she’d been taught by Mr. Sulu.

                “I’m Jaylah. Maybe I’ll see you sometime.” Kiva nodded and hurried away with a wave.

                “Look at you. Making friends already. Soon enough you’ll be forgetting all about me.” Scotty meant it to be a joke, but the stricken look on her face made him instantly regret it.

                “Just a joke lassie. Come on. I know a good place to eat close by.” The place in question was a little Italian restraint which served, what Scotty claimed to be, the best replicated pizza known to man. Jaylah was not a real fan of all the grease, but it was very good pizza.

                “Montgomery Scotty?” She wiped a string of cheese from her chin.

                “Yes lass?” She put her pizza slice down on the plate and searched her mind for the words.

                “I am…grateful.” He halted his chewing and put his slice down as well.

                “It’s the least I could do.” She nodded.

                “I know. But, you did not have to. I could have found-” Scotty stopped her before she could finish that sentence.

                “You deserve this lassie.” There it was. The weight of those words. Jaylah felt herself flush. At that, Scotty laughed.

                “Why are you laughing at me?” Scotty’s face was turning as red as his engineering uniform.

                “You look like a wee sad blueberry. Stop feeling down. This is an exciting beginning. No sad faces!”

                “What is a blueberry?” Scotty laughed again.

***

                Jaylah had said goodbye to Scotty with a warm hug before heading back to her dormitory. It was early evening and she had expressed her wanting to rest and unpack. She and he had plans to go sightseeing the next day. As Jaylah entered her hall she took in the sounds of life from behind closed doors. She spotted Kiva walking from her room.

                “Hello again.” Jaylah nodded.

                “Hello.” The woman was still wearing the colorful headband and Jaylah found herself staring at it again.

                “Would you like to join us in Andrew’s room? We’re watching a Terran classic.” Jaylah shook her head.

                “I am tired. I also need to unpack. Perhaps another time.” Kiva nodded.

                “May I ask a quick question?” Kiva looked contemplative. Jaylah nodded, fidgeting her hands in the pockets of her dark pants.

                “Where do you come from? I’ve never encountered a being with such unique features.” Jaylah felt a deep seated discomfort at the question.

                “My people are from deep space. You would not have heard of us.” Kiva nodded.

                “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was just curious.” Jaylah nodded.

                “Where are you from?” Kiva smiled.

                “I’m from Delta IV. It’s a Federation Planet a few systems over.” Jaylah nodded, though she understood very little. She had next to no knowledge of the stars and galaxies. She shifted uncomfortable toward her room.

                “I will see you around.” Jaylah said and she hurried back to her room. She shut the door behind her and sat down on the bare mattress. She didn’t dislike Kiva. She just didn’t know her. She hoped Kiva didn’t dislike her because of her sudden shyness. She had never had to worry about these kinds of situations before meeting Scotty and his mates. All the people she’d encountered on Altamid had been hostile and that lead to combat. Combat was easy and impersonal. She let her fists do the talking. That was not the way here at Starfleet.

                Jaylah stood after a time and began to open the larger of her two suitcases. Within were the clothes Uhura had bought her. Many of the garments still had the tags on them and she took out a pocket knife, a gift from Captain Kirk, to cut them off. She folded the items and put them into the nearby dresser drawers. When that was done she took out several items she’d smuggled out of the USS Franklin before it was disassembled by Starfleet authorities. Her staff had been left behind on the planet, but her clothes from that place and her utility belt were among the items she’d taken. In the pockets were her holotech projector disks. She didn’t need them anymore to keep her new house safe. The lock would suffice. Still, she felt the need to tinker. In the very bottom of her luggage were her tools and an assortment of wires.

                The next bag was slightly smaller and was filled with more gifts. She’d remembered a conversation with Doctor McCoy at the Captain’s birthday in which he’d explained the traditional exchanging of gifts to commemorate a person’s birth date.

                “Why has no one given James T his gifts yet?” At this comment, the Captain’s face grew a devious smirk.

                “Yeah Bones. Where are my gifts? I’m the birthday boy after all.” At this, McCoy let out an almighty groan.

                “Jim. We’re not dead. Isn’t that a gift in and of itself?” The bridge crew’s attention on the construction of the new Enterprise was interrupted by a discussion on birthdays and gift giving.

                “It is not my birthday.” Jaylah said suddenly.

                “What’s that?” McCoy looked on with confusion at the statement.

                “Montgomery Scotty gave me a gift, but it is not my birthday.” Upon contemplating this fact she came to a startling conclusion.

                “I do not remember my birth date.” The group had gone quiet again. Kirk decided that since nobody got him anything for his birthday, beside the new ship which was being built outside the window, that everyone should get Jaylah a present. He also unofficially declared his birthday to be Jaylah’s honorary birthday until they could figure out her real one. She’d protested heavily, but once the crew of the Enterprise rallied, there was really no stopping them. An entire suitcase of wrapped boxes in varying sizes and shapes sat on her dorm room floor.

                The contents of the suitcase were as follows:

  * A packet of seedlings and a painted pot complete with soil and plant food from the Sulu’s. Demora had painted it herself.
  * A shot glass from Chekov with the declaration; _“Made in Russia”_.
  * A kal-toh set from Mr. Spock along with a basic strategy guide.
  * What appeared to be a keychain made of spare warp core parts from Keenser.
  * A set of brushes from Yeoman Rand.



                Jaylah put the items about the room and pulled a set of sheets from the otherwise empty closet. She made the bed and took in her handiwork. The room was still very bare, but it was a start. She changed into sleep clothes and put on her music, without the head set since she was alone, but kept the volume at a more reasonable level. She drifted off to sleep to the beats and shouting.


	2. No Skirts!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaylah doesn't like skirts. Scotty is a proud dad.

Chapter 2: No Skirts!

                Scotty picked her up for a light breakfast before they went out on the town. There was a lovely aquarium a short trip from the campus, and Jaylah marveled at the collection of Terran and alien sea life which was within. She took a particular interest in a small cephalopod which resembled a tiny bunny. The touch tank was a different matter.

                “They do not want to be touched!” Jaylah whined. Scotty laughed.

                “You know that for sure?” Jaylah nodded.

                “They are very unhappy fish. We should not anger them and risk retaliation!” Scotty relented when it became clear she simply did not want to touch a stingray.

                “Let’s get a snack. Best to prevent the wee fishy uprising.” The next great discovery of the day was the churro. Jaylah took great delight in the treat and the sugary crumbs went everywhere. They made their way back to the campus when Scotty got an urgent call on his com.

                “Sorry to cut this short, but my lady is in need.” Jaylah tired not to look too disappointed.

                “Go to your ship. I can take care of myself.” They stayed together as far as the hangar bay and before she knew it, he was gone. The shuttle disappeared into the afternoon skyline and for a moment Jaylah felt a sense of total isolation. She was alone now in San Francisco and she couldn’t decide how she felt about that. Her first instinct was to return to her room and prepare for classes. The semester would begin session in only two days.

                “Jaylah!” She looked up to see her Deltan dormmate rushing toward her in a purple sequin dress and some sort of feathered headband.

                “Hello Kiva.” The Deltan smiled and Jaylah couldn’t help but smile back. We’re on our way to get our uniforms. Want to join us? She waved her hand at a man who was waiting back where Kiva had come from. He was blue and had interesting antenna protruding from a mop of white hair. He wore interestingly formal looking gold garments.

                “This is Dayvon. He’s an Andorian.”

                “I’m clearly an Andorian. Why do you need to point that out?” Jaylah shrugged, but felt her face heat.

                “I have never seen an Andorian. Or a Deltan until yesterday.” Dayvon looked apologetic.

                “I’m sorry. I assumed you knew. We’re a bit distinctive.” They moved on to idle chatter following the apology.

                “I do need my uniform.” She dreaded the idea of the garment already. She very much liked the clothes Uhura and she had picked out. She followed the pair toward the administration building where there were lines upon lines of students being fitted with the standard issue clothes. A Starfleet staff member in grey took down her name and student number. A quick scan in on a glass-like plate took her body measurements. She took the information from the scanner to a window.

                “Would you like the skirt or pants?” The woman at the window asked.

                “Pants.” Jaylah said quickly. One thing she begrudged more than the uniform itself was the idea of wearing a skirt every day. She took a plastic bag from the woman, which contained a week’s worth of uniforms. Just in case something got ruined or she felt too lazy to get them cleaned. Kiva was bouncing with excitement.

                “Not a skirt fan?” Kiva asked as the group left the building.

                “How would I be able to do engineering in a skirt? I would injure myself.” Dayvon laughed.

                “I hear they are phasing the skirts and dresses out in favor of pants for safety. Lt. Nyota Uhura of the USS Enterprise has lobbied it for almost a year now. I read it on the Academy forum.” Jaylah’s ears perked up at the mention of her friend.

                “I know Uhura.” They both looked at her with a newfound interest.

                “How? She’s a legend here!” Kiva’s dark eyes were wide as saucers. Dayvon was a much more subdued level of excitement.

                “She is my friend.” At that remark, Kiva laughed.

                “Details! Where did you meet her?! She’s my idol!” Jaylah took care to relay her meeting of the apparently famous Enterprise crew in deep space and how she came to be on Earth, so far from her section of space.

                “So you’re from deep space. Interesting. I wondered why I had not seen your like before.” Dayvon meant this to be an observation, but it made Jaylah self-conscious.

                “Please don’t stare.” Dayvon apologized again as they approached the dorms.

                “I must prepare for classes. Excuse me.” Jaylah said and hurried to her dorm room. She unwrapped her uniforms and held them up to her body. The red was jarring against her stark white skin, but she figured that if she was to become an engineer like Scotty that she’d better get used to it. At that thought she put on her uniform and fiddled with her PADD to take a photo. She sent it to Scotty.

***

                Scotty was wearing a face of a proud Starfleet dad and Kirk thought it was the funniest shit to ever happen.

                “Look at him Jim! He’s clearly a first time parent. Everything his kid does is amazing.” McCoy shook his head at the Chief Engineer as he attempted to take a selfie with varying degrees of success. McCoy and Kirk decided not to make too much fun of Scotty since he was the difference between the new Enterprise launching in a year or two years.

                “Jaylah is not his kin. She is merely an individual with whom he overcame an ordeal with and has therefore formed something akin to a familial bond.” Spock did not look up from the console he was wiring beside the two.

                “Come on Spock. He’s clearly taken to her like water to plants.” McCoy attempted to make Spock see it.

                “I must admit. His attachment to her is not an anomaly. Her wellbeing is a topic of conversation among many of the Enterprise crew.” Kirk nodded.

                “Uhura asked if we could take her with us when the Enterprise launches. She’d be an excellent help in any section she chose to stay in.” McCoy nodded.

                “I doubt she’d be able to finish her education in a year Jim. Not even you are a big enough egghead to pull that off.” Spock perked up at this remark.

                “On the contrary. Mr. Scott had mentioned in passing that Jaylah has tested out of the first three semester’s worth of courses for Engineering. If she maintained a high average of academic excellence she could finish her required coursework in approximately 10.45 months.” This information made the room go silent.

                “My God man. She’s a bigger egghead than you.” Kirk broke out into a wide grin.

                “There goes my three year record.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: There will be only minor mention of her courses because I have no idea what it takes to get an Engineering certification in Starfleet. I only know what I’m currently studying for regular engineering. Also, proud dad Scotty is the best. I love him. More from Jaylah and her new friends soon. ALSO! NO SKIRTS IN ENGINEERING! (Says the girl who built a solar water heater in the shop wearing a ruffled Lolita skirt, lab safety people!)


	3. Decorating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaylah and Kiva go shopping...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt compelled to post, even though this is essentially adorable filler.

Chapter 3: Decorating

                Jaylah’s first week of classes were surprisingly uneventful. Most of the course work was being put off until the following week to allow students to adjust to the rigors of academia. Jaylah longed to begin working on projects to fill all the empty space in her days. She’d made a habit of starting her mornings early with a run around the length of the campus. She would then return for a quick sonic shower before attending her lectures. She kept her PADD in her messenger bag at all times to update her task lists and check her inbox for messages from Scotty. His communications had slowed down from daily to every other day. The other members of her crew would sporadically send her messages to check in. Jaylah replied to them faithfully.

 

From: Kirk, James T

Topic: Things Every Starfleet Student Should Do Before Graduating

This list is not endorsed by Starfleet Academy. Enjoy!

  * See the sunrise from the Golden Gate Bridge
  * Cause a bar fight
  * Get away without being arrested
  * Take the Kobiyashi Maru more than once (extra points for bringing food into the simulation)
  * Annoy Admiral Archer (but not how Scotty did it!!!)
  * Make a friend who will follow you anywhere
  * Make a friend who can kick your ass



 

                Jaylah wrote the list down on a dry erase board she’d acquired and attached to the wall for solving equations. She’d relied on solving them by hand while stranded on Altamid and she did not wish to lose the skill. Most students used their PADDs to do the calculations and Scotty had told her to never rely on a machine fully to solve a basic problem. _‘The calculator is only as smart as the person holding it.’_

                Kiva and Dayvon had become regular players in her routine. She would start the day with her run, go to class, return to work on her assignments, and retire to an evening activity with her friends. She felt that they were now beyond acquaintances and truly friends. She had yet to do anything beyond sit in their rooms and talk about random things, but she felt this must suffice. She would return to her room and check her messages before bed.

                Scotty updated her regularly on the day to day activities of the Enterprise rebuild. Mr. Spock had proven to be an excellent help in assembling the bridge and science system boards. Ms. Uhura had also taken control of the new communications systems. They would be getting the latest technology. Jaylah enjoyed the news and photos. On the weekends she was able to make video calls.

                “Lassie? Yah there?” Yorktown had excellent systems, but the distance caused a three second delay on Jaylah’s private line.

                “I am here Montgomery Scotty.” The few seconds allowed her to take in the chaos of the background scene. Scotty was broadcasting from an office with a large window out into the engineering hangers. Keenser was shimmying up and down platforms with large harnesses of equipment. The little man was deceptively strong and dexterous. She and he had spent one afternoon exploring the various catwalks and platforms whilst driving Scotty batty with concern.

                “Aye! Good to see you! How are your studies?” Jaylah loosened the collar on her uniform top.

                “My studies are very interesting. I have an essay on Warp Theory due in three days. I am unsure which of my text books will be the best source. They each seem to have difference ideas once you pass the concepts of Warp 8.” Scotty nodded a few seconds later.

                “Use the most recently published one for reference. Some of those books are only four years old, but in that time I managed to patent the equation for trans warp beaming. New things are always coming up.” At that moment a large number of objects fell and Keenser followed soon after with a very surprised screech.

                “Wee man!!!!” Scotty hurried from frame to assist the other engineers. For a moment, Jaylah considered leaving the chat, but Scotty returned soon enough.

                “Sorry ‘bout that. Wee fool. He’ll be fine.” Jaylah laughed.

                “I have made friends. The Deltan girl, Kiva. She introduced me to an Andorian named Dayvon. They are both very interesting.” Scotty looked like he was welling up.

                “Oh lass. Look at you. You’re a regular Earth girl now.” Jaylah didn’t know how to feel about that. A mixture of elation and fear.

                “I do not know how to respond to that.” Scotty nodded.

                “It’s a good thing. It always is a good skill to be able to acclimatize to new places. You don’t wanna be like the good Doctor McCoy. Whines from here to the Delta Quadrant about how terrible the universe is-”

                “I CAN HEAR YOU YAH KILT WEARING MADMAN!” Doctor McCoy’s voice carried something fierce. He walked into frame with Keenser in tow. The small man had a bandage on his head.

                “Hello Doctor Bones.” Jaylah waved.  McCoy softened when he saw who was on the screen.

                “Hi there Peach. How’s school? I hear you are in the running for breaking Jim’s record.” Jaylah looked confused.

                “James T has a record?” The group of men laughed heartily at that.

                “Which one?! The academic one or the one involving sordid details?!” McCoy and Scotty were leaning on each other and wheezing.

                “I am unclear what is happening.” Jaylah said louder than she usually needed.

                “Sorry. Jim graduated from the Academy in three years. By our calculations you should be able to beat that record no problem.” Jaylah felt a spontaneous flush cover her face.

                “You weren’t kidding. She does look like a blueberry when she’s embarrassed.” Jaylah started to laugh. She’d recently had blueberries and decided that they were delicious. Her resemblance to the fruit when embarrassed merely added to her infatuation with it. The conversation got wrapped up soon after McCoy let with Keenser for a checkup.

                “Jaylah!” Jaylah jumped up at the sound of her name from beyond her door. She hurried to open it and let Kiva in.

                “I was signaling for ages.”

                “I am sorry. I was conversing with someone.” Kiva flopped down on Jaylah’s bed and smiled.

                “Was it your space family?” Jaylah nodded. This was an acceptable term to describe them.

                “I think you need to decorate in here. It’s kinda bland.” Jaylah nodded.

                “I have been busy. I meant to go shopping for a poster, but I forgot.” Kiva proceeded to drag Jaylah to a store just off of campus which sold anything and everything that students would need.

                “What kinds of things do you like?” Kiva asked as Jaylah skimmed the selection of posters.

                “I like my music.” Kiva nodded.

                “I think they might have some music posters in here somewhere. What genre?” They scrolled the digital display. The various genres were listed.

                “I believe Doctor Bones called it Classical.” They skimmed the classical selections but found nothing even remotely close to what Jaylah liked.

                “My music has beats and shouting.” Jaylah explained.

                “Oh! You mean punk.” She pulled up the selection and Jaylah nodded in agreement. She selected a Beastie Boys poster featuring a screaming gorilla. She felt it described her very well.

                “Have you tried other forms of music?” Kiva asked as they made their way around the rest of the store.

                “A little. Montgomery Scotty gave me access to an archive of music.” Kiva nodded.

                “I’ll send you some names and you can try them out.” They explored the store for a few more minutes and procured a few strings of colored lights to brighten the room up. They returned to her room and put on some of Kiva’s music while they set up the poster and lights. It was a decided improvement on the blank walls.

                “What is this called? It sounds very strange, but in a good way.” Kiva looked at the display on the player.

                “Collection of Klingon War Songs. I think this one is called _‘A Good Day to Die’_.” Jaylah added it to the list of things she liked.

 


	4. Eggs and Baskets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaylah gets some disapointing news and takes matters into her own hands. Scotty is concerned.

Chapter 4: Eggs and Baskets

                “Ms. Jaylah? The advisor will see you now.” Jaylah rose and straightened her uniform top before entering the office. It was a small space with white walls and clear glass windows. A man sat at the desk which was adorned with photos of family as well as a few interesting trophies. Jaylah took the seat he motioned to with his hand.

                “Ms. Jaylah. At last we meet.” He shook her hand and his grip was firm. His skin was a dark contrast to hers. Even darker than Ms. Uhura’s.

                “My name is Johnathan Reacher. I’m a professor in the science department. I believe you will be taking my class in the spring.” Jaylah nodded.

                “Yes. I was told you teach Introduction to Starfleet Lab Research.” It was a requirement for her science credits.

                “That I do. You have made quite a stir in the academic board and I want to make sure you’re adjusting well.” Jaylah quirked an eyebrow at the comment.

                “Adjusting? To Earth?” He nodded.

                “Yes. You are a foreign transplant. Most students these days are, but we handle each case differently. I was told that you were a castaway before coming to Earth. If you’re comfortable, I’d like to know about your life before coming here.” Jaylah knew this day would come, but feared it all the same. She had hoped to avoid putting on record what she remembered of her life before the Enterprise crew took her away.

                “I do not know where to begin.” She fidgeted her hands in her lap.

                “That’s quite alright. You don’t have to say anything. This is just standard procedure. How about you tell me about how you came to join Starfleet. I read the records on the Altamid Incident, but I’d like to hear your side of the story.” Jaylah nodded.

                “I was out scavenging when a noise made me go hide. I’d heard it before. It was a ship falling from the sky. I had seen many fall before, but this one was the biggest I’d ever seen. It was the one called Enterprise. It was a flaming circle that shook the ground with it landed in the forest. I went to scavenger the site, but found Montgomery Scotty instead.”

                “I’ve been acquainted with Mr. Scott for a few years. He’s quite a man.” Jaylah nodded.

                “He is my friend. He fixed my house. We helped save his mates and then we flew away from that place of death. He gave me a place to stay and that is how I came to be in Starfleet.” The information was recorded in her academic profile for future record.

                “No mention of your people, planet of origin, or any family members.” Jaylah clammed up at that.

                “I do not want to talk about that.” He backed off.

                “Tell me about your focus of study then. Where do you see yourself after graduation?” Jaylah did not have to think about her answer.

                “I will work in engineering with Montgomery Scotty. James T will be my captain and I will live in their new house, Enterprise-A.” Professor Reacher laughed heartily at that.

                “Quite a tall order there. I’ve heard good things about your studies already. The department is keeping an eye on you. I do wish to express caution on placing all your eggs in one basket, though.” Jaylah was confused by this turn of phrase.

                “My eggs? I have no such items in my possession. I have a suitcase-” Professor Reacher shook his head.

                “It means to put all your hopes on one possibility. You should come up with several plans of action so that you are not discouraged if you don’t get what you want.” Jaylah’s brow furrowed.

                “Why would I discouraged?” At this, Mr. Reacher went quiet.

                “Well, you see Jaylah. There was an incident several years back. A planet was destroyed in a conflict and many of Starfleet’s ships went with it. We lost a lot of specially trained crews and most of a graduating class of cadets. Since then, we have been building new ships round the clock to replace what we lost in the conflict. Because of that, all the new vessels will require brand new crews. Cadets are being assigned straight out of the academy to these ships. Only a handful are dedicated to deep space exploration. The rest are being used in relief efforts and patrols of the neutral zone.” He let that sink in. Jaylah had never considered that she would serve on a ship without her friends. She had not even fathomed that she could possibly be assigned to a ship that would never be anywhere near deep space. What if she spent her life serving a vessel in the Alpha Quadrant for the rest of her life? Worse yet, she could be assigned to a space station in the Alpha Quadrant.

                “I’m sorry if I burst your bubble there. It’s just my job to prepare you for eventualities such as this. A lot of cadets come here thinking they will get whatever they want and feel blindsided when things don’t go their way.”

                “What is the chance I will get what I want?” He had to think for a few minutes and Jaylah began to feel herself sweat.

                “I’d say in all honesty that it is very unlikely. The Enterprise-A is a brand new deep space vessel scheduled for immediate launch in a year. At the pace you are going you will be a new graduate for sure, but the chances of deep space assignment are very slim. You would have no experience at that time beyond basic service training prior to graduation. They also have been assigned a large number of personnel to account for the lost crew compliment from the Altamid Incident.” Jaylah felt her heart sink.

                “I did not know that.” Jaylah tried to look strong, but she looked more like a kid who found out there was no Santa.

                “I did not tell you this to hurt your feelings Jaylah. I simply wish to be honest and realistic. You would need to do the impossible in order for this to happen, especially in time for the scheduled launch.” Jaylah wanted to leave now. There was nothing to discuss.

                “I must go. May I be dismissed?” Professor Reacher nodded.

                “Yes Cadet. I’m sorry I could not give you better news, but think on what I told you. Look into the opportunities which will be available to you. Who knows, if you make a good impression on your first assignment you may be able to pull off a transfer request to serve aboard the Enterprise-A at a later date.” Jaylah shook his hand before leaving. She returned to her dorm and changed into a large sleep shirt. She crawled into her bed and buried herself in blankets. Despite all her strength, she felt the sobs escape and before she could stop herself she was crying harder than she had in years.

***

                Scotty felt an uneasy chill in his heart when Jaylah did not answer her PADD. She was always so eager to talk to her friends and never missed a transmission. Today was the first time she had forgotten.

                “I hope she’s alright.” He mentioned to Doctor McCoy in a courtyard café that evening. It was much too late now to try again. He was fidgeting with his silverware as the food had yet to come. Bones took a sip of his beer and sighed.

                “She’s a capable girl. I’m sure she’s just having fun with that Deltan friend of her*s and forgot. Don’t be such a worrier.

                Scotty tried to shake the feeling off, but he grew more and more concerned when Jaylah’s usual messages had ceased to arrive in his inbox. He did not wish to push her in case she was simply buried in schoolwork. He reasoned away the silence for another week and a half before sending her a message inquiring after her wellbeing. At this he received a message which did little to quiet his nerves.

 

From: Jaylah

Topic: Re:How Are You?

I am fine. I have a made many plans to prevent the eggs from being place in one basket.

 

From: Scott, Montgomery

Topic: Re:How Are You?

Lassie. What does that mean exactly?

 

From: Jaylah

Topic: Re:How Are You?

It means I will come home.

***

                Jaylah had spent the better part of a weekend working on the plan. She mapped out all the courses she would need to take over the Spring and Summer. At the accelerated pace she factored in that her time spent on a training vessel would only keep her away an extra few months. The parameters of her schedule were extreme, but she felt that this was preferable to living her days out on an Alpha Quadrant vessel or station. She would find her way back to her home no matter what. If that meant living on coffee and 3 hours of sleep a day then so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome to Jaylah’s college nightmare. I’m your host, the worst example of a college student ever. Stay tuned for more awful life choices and concerned parents!


	5. Chapter 5: Sleepless In Starfleet

Scotty heard little to no more communications from Jaylah going into her first exams. This was only natural though, considering exams was when all cadets became veritable hermits. Dorms became akin to old western ghost towns and the only sign of life was during dining hours in the cafeteria and within the library. The few signs of life, however, were not those of a thriving student body. What could be witnessed of the cadets during these weeks was an army of sleep deprived zombies of all race and gender. Some students were known to sleep for only a handful of hours and some were even know to forgo sleep entirely. This lead to varying degrees of success depending on the genetic makeup of the cadet.

                “I’m sure she’s just studying Scotty. Nothing to worry about.” Uhura was assisting in the setting up of the new communications systems. Scotty had been fretting so much lately that he’d taken himself off of the warp core detail to prevent any accidents. For the moment, Mr. Spock had taken over these duties without complaint. Anything to get away from Scotty’s “mother-hening”, as the Captain had called it.

                “It’s just…” Scotty stopped mid-thought. Uhura looked up from her PADD and put a hand on his shoulder.

                “You got very attached to her while on the planet, didn’t you?” The older man shook his head.

                “It’s not just that. I spent such a long time with my mind in engines and warp coils. I never spent an ounce of my time on anything else.” Uhura put down her PADD and beckoned him to sit with her.

                “Scotty. Have you ever been in a relationship before? Thought about having a family?” He shook his head and sadly stared down at his hands.

                “Never gave the idea any mind. I still don’t. I’m not the marrying type. But, Jaylah...” The words were hard for him to get out. Uhura waited patiently for them. “I want to look after her. I feel a responsibility to her.” They sat for a moment while the busy noises of tools and footsteps droned in the background.

                “Do you feel that since you helped her off that planet that you are responsible for her from now on?” Scotty looked up and nodded.

                “Aye. She told the Captain that she has nobody left. I told her on the planet that she was a part of our crew now. I just aim to do right by her.” At this Uhura gave him a small smile.

                “I’m sure as soon as she’s done with exams she’ll be back to talking to you like she never stopped. Just try not to be too pushy. My mom was like that my first year.” Scotty nodded and promised to put it out of his mind for the rest of the week. Much to the rest of the crew’s relief, he was a man of his word.

***

                Jaylah felt an unsettlingly familiar parallel beginning to develop between present and recent past. Only a short time ago she had been quietly sneaking around the area surrounding her house in search of parts. Now she was quietly sneaking off to and from classes. She had deliberately changed up her schedule to avoid loss of time. When she wasn’t in her classes she was either settled in a corner of the library or hiding in her dorm room. Kiva would pop by from time to time for a quick chat and sometimes left notes when Jaylah wasn’t there. She’d attempted several times to get Jaylah to come with her to a party, but had so far been unsuccessful. It wasn’t that she meant to be unfriendly to the Deltan. It was just that there was no time.

                On her adjusted schedule, Jaylah was tackling sixteen credit hours over the comfortable twelve. Her late addition to two of the courses was barely noticed due to the swiftness of the alteration of her courses. She had early morning classes Monday through Friday and evening classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This left only enough spare time for eating, sleeping, and quick showers. She felt her body protest each morning when her alarm went off, but she powered through it as soon as her feet hit the floor.

                ‘This is normal.’ She told herself as she trudged to the lecture hall. After class she hurried to her second lecture. By middle of said lecture she began to feel the all too familiar rumbles of hunger. These had been no strangers to her in the past and so did not concern her that much. She had grown fond of Italian food as of late and ate a pasta dish before heading to the library to work on her assignments and projects. The day was rounded off with her evening class before she returned to the cafeteria for dinner. The library was her final stop to finish her assignments before going back to her dorm. She kicked off her shoes at the wall by her closet, which was quickly becoming scuffed from the abuse. She would then collapse into bed and fall immediately to sleep from her efforts.

                For weeks this went on without any sign of stopping. Jaylah’s body began to protest the very concept of standing upright. Her back had become extremely painful, even while lying in bed. Kiva had come over once during exam week for a visit and was shocked by what she saw.

                “You look terrible. Have you been doing okay?” Her friend meant well, but Jaylah only nodded.

                “I am fine.” Kiva looked less than convinced.

                “You look like you could sleep for a year. Honestly, you need to take a break.” At this, Jaylah shook her head sadly before standing up and wincing.

                “I have no time to take a break. My schedule does not allow for rest periods outside of sleep cycles.” At that comment, the Deltan lead Jaylah over to the bed. They sat on the mattress side by side. Kiva put a hand on her friend’s shoulder with a slight hesitation. She had been briefed by the administration about physical contact with other cadets and Starfleet personnel due to her people’s treaty with the Federation. Her admittance to Starfleet was solidified by her taking classes in interspecies contact to strengthen her control of her pheromones. The last thing she ever wanted was to hurt someone she now saw as a good friend.

                “Jaylah. You cannot go on like this. I can tell just from this touch that you are in great pain. Please talk to me.” Jaylah sighed deeply.

                “I do not do this because I want to be in pain. I do this because I must.” Kiva could not sense the need to hide her personal turmoil. The waves of fear and uncertainty were palpable.

                “Why do you hide your pain Jaylah?” The pair were quiet for a moment. Jaylah seemed to be ruminating the answer when a chime went off at the wall console.

                “My next class. I must change my bag out.” Jaylah stood and the contact with Kiva’s hand was severed. Kiva stood and helped her friend the only way she could. She took a chance and enveloped her friend in a hug. Jaylah’s shoulders slumped for a moment before she began packing her messenger bag again. She saw the funny decorations and remembered the good doctor who had gifted it to her.

                “Promise me you’ll come talk to me if you have a chance?” Kiva asked as they exited the dormitory. Jaylah simply nodded and headed out of the hall. The Deltan wanted to believe that everything would be alright, but something told her that this was only the tip of the problem. She returned to her room and pulled up her personal com line.

                “Dayvon. I need your help.” The Andorian quirked an eyebrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Forgive the absence. I had a lot of classes and projects and then the holiday season. I’m back now!


	6. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiva and Dayvon are worry about precious Jaylah. Scotty's dad senses are tingling and he's on his way!

Chapter 6: Intervention

                “Mr. Scott!” A series of loud crashes and metallic objects fell down a Jeffries Tube. The dangerous and comical number of objects was followed in quick succession by the chief engineer himself. He sputtered and tore off his welding goggles to find himself at the feet of a very impatient looking Captain Kirk.

                “Sorry Captain. I was in the middle of maintenance on this…uh…tube.” He waved vaguely at the pile of tools at both men’s feet and tucked his PADD into his back pocket.

                “Somehow I feel like you’re hiding something from me Scotty.” Scotty did his best to feign surprised and shock.

                “Me? Naw! What would give you that impression sir?” Kirk sighed.

                “Mostly the fact that you assigned this tube to Ensign McKenna yesterday and the duty roster said it was completed already.” Scotty continued to feign confusion.

                “How odd. This job didn’t look finished. I took the liberty of fixing the…uh…wiring!” Kirk sighed and crossed his arms. He could feel that nerve in his forehead beginning to throb.

                “Mr. Scott. Is there something you’d like to get off your chest? Your performance these last weeks has been less than your usual excellence. As your captain I’m obligated to ask.” Scotty shook his head and quickly began clearing up all the tools he’d dropped and placing them in the loops on his belt.

                “Nothing to report sir. I’ll have this ship running in time for launch day. You can be certain of that.” Kirk had to physically stop his chief from escaping to another tube.

                “You’re on leave for the next two weeks starting now.” Scotty sputtered a strange amalgam of curses as Kirk ushered him down the hall toward the temporary access platform.

                “You can’t just do that sir! I need to brief my crews and sign off on all the new shipments of materials!”

                “Mr. Spock and Chekov have taken over that aspect of the construction. We promise not to put the saucer on upside down.” At that horrifying comment, Scotty had to be dragged away from the Enterprise kicking and screaming.

                “Is this wise Captain?” Spock asked as he kept an eye on the loading crews.

                “Probably not, but he needs a break. Some shore leave planet side with Jaylah will fix him up.” At this, the Vulcan quirked an eyebrow.

                “How did you conclude he would spend his leave with Jaylah when the Yorktown facilities are more conveniently available to him?” Kirk smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder.

                “If I’ve learned anything over the last three years, you can’t keep some people apart for too long.” Spock gave his captain a questioning look before Kirk signed and let go of him.

                “Anyways, what needs doing on my ship?”

                As Scotty began to pack, not without some angry and belligerent language directed at an unsympathetic Keenser, he received a ping from his personal PADD. He was in the middle of a complaint about all the things that are sure to go wrong in his absence when he was distracted by a new message from an unfamiliar sender.

                “Wee man, have you been giving people my private communications line again?” Keenser shook his head as he put several of Scotty’s more colorful shirts into a small bag. Scotty had taken a seat on his bed as he opened the message and hoped to whatever deity existed in the depths of space that it wasn’t some Klingon produced malware.

_Dear Mr. Scott,_

_My name is Kiva. I’m a friend of Jaylah. Please don’t take offence to my sending you this message on your private line or ask how I came by it. In the appreciation of doing something mildly wrong to do something wholly just, I must inform you that Jaylah is not well. She has not told you this because she doesn’t want you to worry. I can’t get her to admit she is unwell, but it is clear to anyone who knows her that this is not the case. I know I have no right to ask you, a Starfleet officer, to do me any favors. However, I don’t believe that you wish Jaylah to be working herself to death either._

_Regards,_

_Kiva_

                “Wee man. Have the Captain be advised I’ll be taking my leave on Earth instead of Risa.” Keenser grunted in response as Scotty finished packing. He was on the next transport as soon as the message appeared in Kirk’s inbox. If a light _‘I told you so’_ was exchanged between Captain and First Officer, nobody was the wiser.

000

                Jaylah had just stumbled back to her quarters for the evening. She had just completed her most ambitious and punishing study session to date. She’s gotten up at 06:00 to do some light cramming before her 07:00 exam session. The exam lasted a full three hours and she used every minute to make a thorough go at it. Following the exam she caught a light breakfast before heading to the library to finish her group presentation on Warp Dynamics. The group meeting took a further two hours to complete on account of one of her team mates being forty-five minutes tardy. She had an additional exam at 15:00 which she hurried to make and crammed for in the lecture hall. This one lasted until 18:00 and she again stayed until the very end. Though she had slept the previous night, she had only achieved a total of five hours before waking. She felt a sensation akin to when she and Kirk had transported mid-air onto the Franklin, complete with the hard landing.

                “Jaylah, you need to stop.” Jaylah dropped her bag noisily on the floor. Kiva was sitting with Dayvon on her bed and she felt an overwhelming groan escape from her mouth.

                “How did you get into my room?!” Jaylah didn’t have enough energy left in her to fully fathom what was happening.

                “Dayvon reprogramed your door lock. He’s good at that sort of thing.” She would have felt violated in some way if not for the extreme exhaustion.

                “I must point out that this invasion breaks several rules on privacy. I must also let it be known that I did this only at the request of Kiva in conjunction to your poor standards of care.” Kiva and Dayvon set about taking away Jaylah’s books and making her sit down on the mattress they’d been occupying.

                “Jaylah, you look terrible and I can tell just from the latent impressions that you’re too tired to go on. You need to rest.” Jaylah was about to argue when a sudden jab of pain went up her spine. She let out a pained gasp and laid down shakily. Kiva quickly retrieved an ice pack from her room and had Jaylah lay on her stomach.

                “Where does it hurt?” Jaylah indicated her lower back towards her hips. Dayvon gently pressed the area around the spine and felt a solid knot of tension.

                “She appears to be having a physical reaction to the stress which is putting strain on her spine. It is the body’s response to extreme exhaustion to keep a person upright while awake.” Kiva nodded and began rubbing her thumbs into the area. Jaylah whimpered more as her friend attempted to loosen the knot. The ice pack appeared to do a mild amount of good, but neither attempts had any real effect.

                “You need to rest and begin eating normally again to ease your stress. I will get you a cup of decaf tea.” Dayvon hurried to retrieve the drink while Kiva helped Jaylah sit up.

                “Do you have any more exams or homework?” Jaylah shook her head.

                “My last exam was today.” Dayvon returned with a steaming cup of tea, which Kiva put on the bedside table. Jaylah took some coaxing to drink it down. Dayvon took out a holoplayer from his bag and set it up to project on the wall of Jaylah’s room. They rearranged the bedroom area so that they could all see the movie fine.

                “What are we watching?” Jaylah asked with a yawn.

                “It’s an Andorian soap opera.” Kiva smiled.

                “It is not a soap opera!” Dayvon grumbled. Kiva laughed at her friend.

                “I was kidding.” Jaylah only mildly was paying attention. She was unsure what a soap opera was as well.

                “It’s an old Earth film. We’re talking ancient.” The film appeared to be very old indeed. There was no sound besides dramatic orchestral music. All dialogue was written on the screen in Terran Standard.

                “Where did you find this film?” Jaylah asked.

                “I was looking in the film archives when I was learning Standard as a child.” The film was called Metropolis and turned out to be very engaging considering there was no verbal audio. She fell asleep during a beautiful scene between the rich man and the worker girl. She felt like the characters were somewhat more relatable because they were all monochrome. Apparently both sound and color had not been invented yet, so entire film had neither.

                Dayvon and Kiva stayed till the end of the film to make sure Jaylah would sleep through the night. When it was clear she would not be waking up any time soon they quietly packed up and left the room.


	7. Fresh Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Space dad Scotty to the rescue!

                Jaylah had not planned anything for the break. She’d also not received any new messages from Scotty. Kiva and Dayvon had stayed for as long as they could before they had to leave for home. She spent the first day of her break sleeping in and reading off her PADD. If nothing else all the free time had allowed her to put a dent in some of the novels Captain Kirk had sent her. She was currently reading Jane Eyre, but had to stop every few chapters to look up what things meant. The next day was looking to be very much the same until she heard her door chime. She pulled her achy body from the mattress and cautiously opened it.

                “Montgomery Scotty?!” Jaylah gaped as Scotty waved at her with a bag of Chinese takeout food.

                “Can I come in lassie?” She moved aside to let him and immediately lamented the state of her room. It was covered in stray clothes and various objects she’d been tinkering with the last several months.

                “I love what you’ve done with the place. Very homey.” She chuckled as he put the take out on the side table and helped her begin to sort her room out. She put all her clothes in the hamper and vowed to clean them as soon as she could. She was equally embarrassed that she was wearing her Starfleet pajamas despite it being well after noon.

                “I did not know you would be here.” She signed. He waved away her unease quickly.”

                “Neither did I. Captain Perfect Hair forced me to take some time off, so I came as soon as I could.” Jaylah understood the sentiment, but was confused none the less.

                “Why did you come here?” At this, Scotty looked a bit disappointed.

                “I’m sorry. I didn’t think to call ahead. You must have plans with your friends during break.”

                “Oh no! I am alone for break. Dayvon and Kiva went back home. I only meant-” She paused.

                “Why did you come here? You could go anywhere.” She was quietly happy inside that he had chosen to see her, however she didn’t want to monopolize all of his free time. She now understood a bit about how busy a Starfleet officer could be. Her studies alone ate up all of her day time hours. She could only imagine what serving on a ship or a base would be like.

                “Where else would I go spend my holiday? Lassie, has something happened? You sound a bit off.” Jaylah avoided eye contact.

                “Off of what?” Scotty knew deflection when he heard it, and he heard it often on the bridge from a certain Vulcan Science Officer.

                “Come over here and help me eat these nibbles. No good if they get cold.” He helped her clear a place and in no time at all Jaylah was scarfing down an entire serving of almond chicken.

                “Have you been eating much?” Jaylah shrugged.

                “The cafeteria is full of things which I don’t know. They are all full of fat and grease.” Scotty snorted.

                “Yeah. Cafeteria food hasn’t evolved much in the last century. Did you find anything you liked?” She thought about how best to answer this.

                “I do like the fruit and snacks. Have you ever had granola? It is delicious!” Scotty chuckled.

                “Aye. I’ve had granola. It’s good in yogurt.” Jaylah’s eyes went wide.

                “I have never had it in yogurt. I like the blue berry yogurt.” Scotty made a mental note to get her some trail mix variety packs to have in her room for snacking. She was clearly slimmed than she had been during their last meeting. She had always been slim to his knowledge, but she was now approaching an unhealthy waif-like build.

                “So, you have friends. You’ve got new foods. Anything else you’ve been up to?” He eyed her various notes which littered the room. He saw notations for everything from astrometrics to warp field integrity. He quirked an eyebrow at the advanced levels and variety of things she was apparently studying.

                “I have been learning everything about warp cores and making the ships fly.” Scotty took another bite of beef broccoli before approaching his next question.

                “Lassie, how many credits did you take this semester?” Jaylah didn’t look up from her plate.

                “Sixteen.” He choked on his next bite.

                “I thought you were only taking twelve this semester so you could ease into living here.” She shrugged in that way which was becoming all too familiar.

                “I decided to take more after talking to the advisor.” Scotty put his food down.

                “Did he tell you to take more classes? That doesn’t seem like something they would tell a new student.” She was quiet for a bit as she finished the last of her food.

                “No. He told me that I would have to do the impossible in order to get what I want. So I decided to put my eggs in the basket.” Scotty sputtered as he tried to figure out what it was Jaylah was saying.

                “Eggs? Lassie? I have no idea what you are talking about.” She looked up nervously and started again.

                “Professor Reacher told me that I should not place all my eggs in one basket and that I should find a new option. I did not want to find a new option. I put my eggs in the basket and began working on the impossible.” Scotty thought he understood a little.

                “The impossible? What’s that?”

                “I want to live with my crew. I want to be in James T’s house and fly with you. I do not want to be anywhere else.” Scotty needed a few minutes after that confession. Yes, he’d become very attached to Jaylah. Yes, he’d told her on the planet that she was a part of their crew. He had not thought what that would lead to beyond that moment on the Franklin. Jaylah saw him and his crew as family. She didn’t want to be alone ever again. Moreover she saw the Enterprise as her new home, even thought she had not been on it yet.

                “And Professor Reacher told you that you couldn’t be stationed on The Enterprise?” He felt a jab of anger at the man, even though he had probably only meant to encourage Jaylah to explore multiple options. All the same he felt a heat begin to fill his chest. How dare this man tell Jaylah what she could and could not do.

                “He said I would never finish in time, but I have done all the math and know I can do it.” She looked at Scotty with such fire and conviction. He’d seen this before in other ambitious cadets. He’d seen it in his own eyes the day he’d attempted transwarp beaming on Admiral Archer’s beagle. That crazed look of unstoppable determination and belief in one’s own abilities. Captain Kirk hadn’t invented it, but he sure as hell had perfected it. The problem with that look is that it usually was followed by an earth shattering conclusion in which said eyes learned they were not infallible.

                “Jaylah. Listen to me very carefully.” She scooted closer to him.

                “Yes Montgomery Scotty?” She sounded apprehensive. He took her hands so she would calm down a bit.

                “You will always be a part of my crew. What’s more, you’re basically family to me.” Her eyes went wide at this declaration.

                “Don’t look all surprised! You think a man goes halfway across the galaxy to deliver Chinese takeaway?!” Jaylah snickered and Scotty found he wanted to put that smile on her face as often as possible.

                “Lassie. You will be a member of our crew. I’ll make sure of it. That being said, you have to do things by the book a bit. That means you gotta finish school and be certified by Starfleet.” Jaylah nodded.

                “That is what I am doing.” Scotty held up a hand to stop her.

                “What you are doing is making yourself sick with all this working and no play. You look absolutely famished and about ready to sleep for a year.” Jaylah blushed and Scotty put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

                “You’re doing just fine lass. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone. You already have proved yourself worthy enough to be a part of the best crew in the galaxy. Just because you’re eager to get back out into the black doesn’t mean you have to burn yourself to cinders in the process.” Jaylah nodded.

                “It’s just…” She searched for the words.

                “Go on. I’m listening.” He coaxed the answers from her.

                “What if I cannot get back to you because you are already very far away? What if they put me on a different ship because I am not good enough to be on your ship? Professor Reacher said that I would not be put on Enterprise because they need people here in the Alpha Quadrant.” Scotty fumed in his seat. He was going to have words with her advisor as soon as classes were back in session and the campus was no longer on shut down.

                “Let me worry about where you’re placed. You don’t have to worry about that.” Jaylah looked skeptical, but said nothing more. Scotty changed the subject.

                “Welp. As much as I’m sure you love your little home away from home, I think fresh air is in order.” Jaylah nodded. He stepped out for a moment while she changed into her casual clothing and together they headed out on the town for some frivolous fun. Jaylah tried not to worry too much about their conversation as Scotty drove his rented hover car out of San Francisco altogether and toward unknown territory.


	8. Parental Discretion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaylah begins a new semester and takes up some new hobbies. Scotty has made a major, life altering, decision.

Chapter 8: Parental Discretion

                Jaylah’s second semester began much like her first. She returned to the academy dormitories a few days early to prepare for her classes. Scotty had taken it upon himself to look over her new schedule of classes and made notes for her on which classes were better to take than others. He also made a guide on which professors were a waste of time and which admirals to avoid at all costs. He jokingly named the folder these notes were kept in; “Scotty’s Guide to Not Being Marooned on Delta Vega”.

                They’d spent part of her break between semesters exploring terran landmarks and taking stupid holo-images at said landmarks. Her personal favorite was one they took at the Fleet Museum. Jaylah and Scotty were seated with their feet propped up on the desk of Captain Erika Hernandez. They were given a reprimand for crossing the security line to capture the fun image and escorted out of the museum. Jaylah had a copy printed and slid it into Scotty’s bag when he was packing to leave.

                “Call if anything happens. I mean anything lass!” He gave her a strong armed hug and she returned it with a slight whimper. Goodbyes would never be easy for her. He’d helped her stock the dorm with snacks from every corner of the galaxy so she wouldn’t be hungry ever again. He also encouraged her to take up a club to relieve stress. She promised she would at least look into a club or activity. They waved to each other as Scotty boarded his shuttle and soon he was gone from sight.

                ‘I’ll never give up on you.’ The words rang true in her mind as she returned to her dorm. Kiva and Dayvon would be returning soon. She would have many things to tell them about her break. She took up Jane Eyre again and settled in with a cup of Scottish Breakfast tea.

                Scotty felt worry creeping into his bones again. Would she be alright? Would she eat properly? Would she write him or call him if anything went wrong? He knew deep down this was what being a parent felt like. He would be thinking about the work waiting for him at Yorktown, and yet he was still busy thinking about Jaylah. He pulled up his PADD and began writing up an official Starfleet document.

***

                “Mr. Scott?” Scotty’s head popped up from behind a large piece of equipment he was currently working on. Kirk thought it resembled a console he’d interacted with at one point or another.

                “Aye Captain?” Mr. Scott’s work ethic had drastically improved upon his return from shore leave. Jim believed any productivity to be a good thing, but the letter he’d received this morning had made him question a great may thing. Name, why was he suddenly being asked by the admiralty to evaluate his chief engineer for suitability as a parent figure.

                “Can we have a chat somewhere private?” Scotty nodded in confusion before signaling his relief to take over his job. They took refuge from the constant bustle of the space dock in Kirk’s temporary office in Starfleet Headquarters. Once in the room, Jim took a seat and pulled up some files on his PADD. Scotty sat with a slight twitch. Normally hey weren’t so formal. Captain Kirk had a reputation for being an unconventional and laid back, but chose to be serious when it counted.

                “What all this about Captain?” Jim slid the PADD across his desk and Scotty knew instantly what it was.

                “I’ve been informed that you wish to adopt a person from an uninitiated world who is currently living on Earth after declaring asylum. Is this true?” Scotty nodded.

                “Yes sir. I’ve decided to adopt Jaylah and be her legal guardian until she comes of age.” Kirk knew that Scotty didn’t mean any harm by this gesture. He honestly felt that it was a very selfless and generous act on his part. The crew of the Enterprise had certainly adopted Jaylah as one of their own in the short time they’d been around each other on the station. He did, however see a few of the admiralty’s points for worry from their attached message.

                “Mr. Scott. How much do you know about Jaylah since her rescue from Altamid?” Scotty’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

                “Jim, I…erm.” There was a long silence.

                “I don’t mean to pry. It’s just, the admiralty sent me a very detailed message about why they don’t think this is a good idea. Even though I don’t like to agree with them all the time, they had a few fair points.”

                “Such as?” Scotty raised his voice to a defensive sputter.

                “You don’t know her age for one thing. Has she told you anything about her home world or her parents? How do we know she doesn’t have family where she came from? Her father is dead. We know that much.” Scotty felt his face heat.

                “Jaylah’s been real sensitive whenever I ask. Her friends say she sidesteps telling them specifics. I think it may be a bit of PTSD. She went through a lot on her own before I met her. That ship, the _Franklin_ , was much lived in.” Jim nodded and offered a look of understanding. He knew what it was like to be around someone who wasn’t ready to talk about personal things like family and home. He knew that casual way in which they’d avoid the conversation like it would leap out and bite them on the hand.

                “All things considered Scotty, I just want to know why you want to adopt her legally. Your words. What brought this one?” Scotty looked contemplative.

                “Well, sir. It was this message I got from Jaylah’s friend. Her name’s Kiva. Kiva told me that Jaylah was working herself to the brink of exhaustion. I’d been worried for a while since she hadn’t been sending me her usual messages, but I figured she was just enjoying being in academy or busy. But when I heard she was making herself sick with stress I dropped my plans to visit Risa on shore leave and went straight back to Earth. Didn’t even think about it. Just did it.” Kirk nodded for Scotty to go on.

                “She was very tired. Sickly, but not incapacitated. Just, like all that fire and joy she carries within herself was missing. I wanted to make bring life back into her and we went on a trip. She’s precious to me Captain. It was the day before I was leaving to return to duty that I decided this was the right thing to do. She may be older than we think or she may just be a child, but she needs a family. She needs guidance. Most of all she needs someone who can come get her and make sure she’s happy when thinks are dire. I don’t ever want her to be as alone as she was on the planet living in a derelict vessel.” Scotty paused to look his Captain in the eye. He was dead serious about this and he wanted his Captain to know.

                “Mr. Scott. I see no reason why you would make a poor parental figure to young Jaylah. I also know from your work ethic that you are not willing to put people in unnecessary danger. You once told me you would not follow my orders without being absolutely certain and you turned out to be completely right.” Scotty smirked at this remark. The torpedo incident had long been a standing example of Scotty’s stubborn desire to keep his friends and crewmates alive and people respected him for that.

                “So you’ll tell the admiralty I meet your expectations?” Captain Kirk smiled.

                “I never believed you didn’t. I just wanted to hear it from you why you were so dead set on being a parent.” It looked like those jokes the other red shirts had been making about Dad-Scotty were going to be more and more frequent in the next few weeks. Personally, he hoped there would not be too many loop holes involved in this interspecies adoption.

                “Return to your duties Mr. Scott. I’ll send my evaluations to the admiralty as soon as possible.”

***

                Jaylah spent more and more of her free time with Kiva and Dayvon during her new semester. She had followed Scotty’s advice and settled on a much easier 12 credits and was currently looking over several pamphlets for the various clubs that Starfleet students had started.

                “What about one of the martial arts clubs? I heard you kicks some serious ass.” Kiva was lying next to Jaylah on the bunk while Dayvon was busy selecting a new film for them to view. They’d become fans of old terran black and white films ever since they viewed Metropolis. Jaylah mostly watched them for the monochrome comfort over the nonsensical plotlines most of the films had.

                “I have thought about taking karate. I am afraid someone will get very hurt though.” Kiva laughed.

                “Isn’t that the point? People get hurt when you punch them.” Jaylah nodded.

                “I have been punched. It is not fun. I fail to see how spending free time punching people that I do not hate is fun.” A far away tremor bloomed on her chest for a moment. The memory of being hit by Manas made her shudder.

                “What about the xenolinguistics club? You learned standard very well considering you learned it from a computer terminal.” Dayvon had just turned on the projector and triumphant music played over the image of a planet.

                “I would like to try something new. Something I have not done before.” Jaylah pushed several of the pamphlets towards her friends as she reached for a bag of fruit leathers. She liked the strawberry ones the best so far. She had taken to the taste of fruits lately. She liked the texture too. It had a bit of grit from the seeds that she enjoyed.

                “Have you ever tried dancing?” Kiva held up a blue pamphlet with a silhouette of a female figure. She looked lithe and graceful.

                “Dancing? I did this once. It was a long time ago.” She felt a memory glint over her mind. Sanding on the toes of a tall strong man. His smiling face looking down at her. She was so much shorter then. His strong arms held her steady as he moved them around the floor. No music played, but he carried her around to the beat of his heart.

                “They have lots of styles. You would like the street dancing class. They play music that is very you.” Jaylah stared at the pamphlet, not reading it. She thought over the idea as the film played in the background. She liked this idea more and more. And it had the added attraction of the beats and shouting she had become somewhat dependent upon since Scotty returned to duty.

                “Perhaps I will.” Kiva put the pamphlets aside and settled against Jaylah’s side on the bed. Dayvon took the floor and they became immersed in the film. Some strange story about a reanimated corpse and a woman who was a reincarnated princess.

                The next day, Jaylah approached the class room with a bit of apprehension. The worst that could happen was that they’d tell her to leave, so she entered. Several people of all different races were chattering about a room. It had a clean wood floor and mirrored walls. Jaylah stood awkwardly to the side for a few moments before a man approached her. He was a human with a warm skin tone and was wearing baggy clothes.

                “You here for the class?” Jaylah nodded and crossed her arms a little. She didn’t want to seem afraid, even though she was.

                “Great. I’m Evan, the instructor. Just take a spot. We’re starting soon.” Jaylah moved out on to the floor and observed the crowd. Everyone was wearing loose clothing. She was glad she’d worn something she liked to exercise in. She didn’t stick out too much. Soon others joined the floor as music began to play. It was a slow electronic beat. Evan led a warm up stretch before getting everyone into a more upbeat cardio session. By twenty minutes in, she was sweating and enjoying herself. Nobody was being critical of her movements or looking at her funny.

                Halfway in, the music ended and Evan had everyone move to the outside of the room. The more experienced dancer began demonstrating dizzying dance steps and flips. They then asked other to come up and try the steps out. Jaylah was reluctant to try any of the unfamiliar dance moves, but loved the movements these people were capable of achieving. The class went into a cool down exercise before dispersing for the evening.

                “Did you like the class?” Evan approached Jaylah as everyone was leaving or toweling off their sweaty bodies.

                “I liked it very much.” Evan smiled and shook her hand.

                “Great. We meet here twice a week. Show up as often as you can. If you become a regular then maybe you would be interested in the advanced classes. We mostly meet to prepare for the dance shows we do in the summer.” Jaylah took a flyer on the class schedules and left her contact information so she could be messaged if there was a cancelation.

                “I would like to learn those steps you did today. The ones where your feet moved so quickly.” She tried to articulate the flurry of movements that she had witnessed and blushed at her inability to fully explain it.

                “I’m sure you’ll catch on to them. I saw you during class and you’ve got a lot of natural movement in you. Have you danced before?” She shook her head. She didn’t think her vague memory of standing on her father’s feet counted.

                “Well you must have done something athletic like this at least. I can tell by looking that you have a lot of strength in you. Dance takes a lot of strength.” Jaylah nodded.

                “I can fight. I think that is what you mean.” Evan nodded.

                “Must be. Dancing and fighting are a lot alike. Except dance is meant to be fun and beautiful whereas fighting is just about hitting each other.” She liked that comparison. She’d never thought about it like that. She said goodbye and returned to her dorms with a spring in her step. She told Scotty all about it in her now weekly messages. Scotty sent her a message here and there about the progress on the new Enterprise and what had happened on duty. She ended her message with an expression of missing him and hoping to see him again during her next break. She had come to rely on his advice as of late and she wasn’t the least bit bothered by this reality. It was nice to have someone to rely on in a time of great change.

_A/N: I’m not dead and this story isn’t either. I’ve just been very busy over the last few months. Exams and school in general have been an utter nightmare. Not that it isn’t a nightmare now as well, but I’m getting better. I’ve gotten a better schedule lately and writing has been a great outlet for my stress. Not gonna lie, the new issue of Boldly Go totally inspire this next section. Go pick up a copy! We finally get to see more of Jaylah’s origin and even what her father looks like! More to follow soon!_


	9. A Family

                The new term had been going very well for Jaylah and her friends. The trio was quickly becoming well known in the dormitories. Kiva liked to think it had to do with their unlikely grouping of an empathic species, a notoriously suspicious species, and a completely unknown species. Of course diversity was nothing new in Starfleet, but their lack of a common background was rather unprecedented. Dayvon was more inclined to believe that it was their collective intellect which drew outside attention. All three were already excelling in their fields of study. Jaylah had an opposite opinion of their social group. She preferred to believe that they weren’t so wildly interesting at all. She liked the closeness of their group and didn’t want to be speculated about by strangers.

                “Have you heard back from your guardian about progress on the new Enterprise?” Dayvon asked as he took a bite from a protein bar. The group was participating in one of their weekend study sessions. This week, Dayvon was hosting in his room. His roommate, a human, was rarely ever in the room. They had only ever glimpsed him in passing and never been introduced. Kiva was seated on the floor with her work spread out across the floor. Jaylah was sitting on the vacant twin bed across from Dayvon.

                “I have not. Montgomery Scotty has promised to speak with me tomorrow over a video call. I think he is keeping a secret.” Kiva perked up and her metallic headband rattled its beads.

                “What kind of secret? I thought you two were being honest with each other now.” Jaylah waved a hand in distress.

                “Not that sort of secret. I think he is trying to surprise me. I just do not know what it is.” Scotty had been hinting for a few weeks about making plans of some kind. He’d also been asking more personal questions during their messages. Questions she had been avoiding answering. Yes, they had agreed to be honest with one another. However, the questions he was asking were very personal. They were about a part of her life which she could not forget, but very much wish to never acknowledge to others. On the planet, she had mentioned her father to Scotty and James Kirk. She had told of his sacrifice and his bravery, but she had not told the entire story. There had not been time and she did not have the strength. Deep down, she knew she was still the scared little girl who had cried herself to sleep for months before aligning to a single purpose for survival.

                “I wonder if he’s planning to take you on another trip for the next semester break. Maybe he’s going to take you to Scotland.” Jaylah snapped out of her musing and smiled. She very much wanted to visit the Highlands. She found the idea of a very green place filled with hairy animals and people like Scotty to be very inviting.

                “I would like that.” Yes, the thought was very inviting indeed.

~~~

                “Ack! It cannot be!” Scotty looked like he’d just been slapped with a spanner. In his hands was a rejection letter from the adoption agency. In his heart he had never once considered that his application would be rejected. He’d even gotten Captain Kirk to write up a glowing letter on his character and conduct as Chief Engineer of the Federation Flagship. How in the name of God had he possibly been rejected?

                “I sent an inquiry to Starfleet and they felt that you were not suited to raise Jaylah because you’re at the peak of your career and notoriously single. They feel that Jaylah would need full time care and guidance and are already preparing to assign her a foster family to suit her needs. They’re going to send a case worker to see her at the Academy in a few weeks. They didn’t send one sooner because of some weird backlog in paperwork and her recent relocation from Yorktown Base to Earth.” Kirk put a sympathetic hand on Scotty’s shoulder. He knew that this news was the last thing either of them wanted to hear. He didn’t want to see Jaylah and Scotty separated either. There was just such a rightness to his being her guardian.

                “Can we fight this Jim?” Scotty looked up from the letter. Kirk shrugged.

                “I mean, we could try. I’d be willing to back you up on this and I’m sure the rest of the crew would too. We all know how much this means to you. Do you think Jaylah will be willing to join us in this?” Scotty nodded.

                “Absolutely sir. I haven’t told her about the adoption yet, but she was adamant that she wanted to be a part of our family. I cannot break my promise to take care of her.” Kirk nodded.

                “Then I guess we’ll have to get you the best lawyer we can find and set up a hearing.” He was already reaching for his communicator to call Spock. He was going to need all the help he could get.

~~~

                “Hello Montgomery Scotty!” Jaylah smiled broadly. Scotty smiled back.

                “Hello Lassie. How are you?” She relayed that everything was fine and recounted how her classes had been proceeding as well as how much she had eaten today. Scotty nodded in approval.

                “I have some news which I hope you’ll like lass.” He paused slightly, wanting to word this next part properly.

                “Yes Montgomery Scotty?”

                “I was wondering what you thought of me becoming your legal guardian.” Jaylah smiled sweetly at the prospect.

                “I would like that very much.” She felt her face becoming hot and her eyes wetting.

                “I thought you might. There is just one problem. I need to prove to Starfleet that my being your guardian is in your best interest.” Jaylah found this confusing.

                “Why?” Scotty gave her a simplified version of the official rejection from the board of adoption. Their beliefs that his job was too demanding to allow him time to spend with her, that his relationship status was insufficient for her social development, and that they did not know each other well enough for the adoption to be deemed appropriate. Jaylah found these accusations to be distressing. If anything it made her wish to be adopted by him more urgently.

                “What do they mean by the words relationship status?” Scotty fumbled to explain the particulars.

                “It means whether you are married or now. They don’t like that I’ve never been married.” Jaylah frowned at this answer.

                “Why should that matter?” Scotty shrugged.

                “I think they would prefer that you had a female influence in your life.” Jaylah looked a bit stricken now. Her eyes went soft and far away.

                “Something the matter lassie?” She sucked in a deep breath before answering.

                “My father was with me longer than my mother was. He raised us well without her. He protected us.” Scotty’s breath caught. This was the first she’d mentioned of her father since Altamid.

                “Us?” She shook a bit when he spoke.

                “Yes. Us. My sister and I.” Scotty could see the hurt on her face and wished it wasn’t there.

                “We can talk about this later if you want.” Jaylah shook her head.

                “No. I wish to tell you now about my family. If it will help you in some way to become my family, I will tell you everything.” Scotty listened intently as Jaylah recounted her life. Her birth aboard her family’s merchant vessel. She had had an older sister named Keelah. Their people were nomadic. They traded with other alien species and never stayed in one place long. She had only known the ship for most of her childhood. It was where she and her sister had spent many happy days and nights running up hallways and sitting on the ceiling when the internal gravity would sometimes fail.

                “My mother had suffered greatly when I was within her. My father pulled me from her, but she never recovered. When I was very young, she said goodbye to us and became one with the stars.” Scotty felt for her.

                “How old were you when she passed?” Jaylah shrugged.

                “I could not have been older than ten standard years. After that I became father’s engineer. I was always good with machines.” Scotty understood that all too well. He’d thrown himself into his job to cope with a lot of things in his life.

                “When we encountered Krall’s army of bees, we had entered new territory in hopes of finding new worlds to trade with. We fell to the surface and were captured. Inside Krall’s base, we plotted an escape. The day of the escape, my sister was taken by Krall. I never saw her again. I tried to save her, but father held me back. What was done was done. We could not save her. He knew this. I will never forget her screams. Her face.” She burst into tears. Scotty wished he was with her so he could hold her tight and never let go. Finally her sobbing stopped and she wiped her face with her pale hands.

                “I’m sorry.” Scotty waved a hand while wiping a few tears of his own.

                “After that we ran. My father died so that I could escape. I found your people’s ship and began working to make it fly.” Scotty nodded. This much, he had known. Knowing now, everything that his girl had endured and lost strengthened his resolve. He would fight the powers that be to obtain this adoption.

                “Lassie. You’re truly a brave young woman to have survived all that. You should never have been through it. We’ll make sure that you will never be alone again. You hear?” Jaylah nodded.

                “You cannot break a stick in a bundle.” Scotty chuckled at the expression he had taught her.

                “Aye.”

~~~

Epilogue

                Scotty waited patiently for news of his appeal. After months of legal banter and having to wear his stuffy dress uniform before a judge, the verdict on his adoption would be read. With the help of Kirk and Spock, Scotty had received a top notch lawyer who had made many persuasive arguments of his qualifications as a potential guardian.

                Jaylah had also written a letter to Starfleet finally chronicling on the record her origins and familial relations. With this new information, there was little doubt that Jaylah would be a member of the Scott Clan by Christmas.

                “Scotty! Any news?” Captain Kirk put a soothing hand on his chief’s shoulder. Scotty was about to respond when his communicator chirped.

                “Scott here.”

                “Mr. Scott. It’s Sam Cogley. We did it! The judge ruled an hour ago in your favor. We just need you to come down and sign some paperwork for us.” Scott let out the loudest yip Kirk had ever heard. People passing by stopped to stare at the jovial engineer.

                “You’re a miracle worker Mr. Cogley! I’ll be right over!” Kirk laughed as Scotty turned and hugged his Captain without care for propriety. They were not officers in that moment. Just a pair of friends celebrating a victory. Scotty excused himself to head for the quart house. Kirk waved with a laugh.

                “Good thing we’re making a bigger ship.”

                Scotty requested leave following the paper signing so that he could go back to Earth. Kirk agreed enthusiastically. He escorted the joyful new father to his transport himself and wished him all the best. The journey to Earth was agonizingly slow due to his excitement. He arrived in San Franscisco late in the evening and didn’t bother waiting till morning. He barged into the dorms and knocked loudly on his new daughter’s door.

_‘Daughter! I already am calling her my daughter!’_ He laughed mentally.

                Jaylah answered the door in a t-shirt and shorts. The words “No! You’re too drunk to boldly go!” were emblazed on the fabric. No doubt a gift from one of his mates.

                “Montgomery Scotty!” He attacked her at once with a bear hug.

                “I won Jaylah! They granted me the adoption!” Jaylah froze and stared him in the eyes. Then she smiled wide and hugged him so hard she lifted him off the ground for a moment.

                “This is amazing!” She yelled. Neither gave a care to how loudly they were laughing. A few heads popped out of the doors adjacent to see who was causing the ruckus before returning to the safety of their dorms. Of all the things everyone had learned about being Jaylah’s neighbor; the number one thing was that if she was making a racket, it was best to just let it happen. Number two was that if Scotty was visiting her, then the statistical likelihood of something blowing up rose tenfold. Best to give the pair distance as they were both, above all things, walking disasters. A pair of hurricanes in Starfleet issue boots. Totally unbeatable in any situation.

A/N: Finished, but not over. Writing the sequel story now! This is more the prequel to the next story. Needed to do this to get to the next part. Hope you liked it. Please don’t be mad that I don’t know how a lot of legal stuff works. I learned it all on TV. Reviews welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Jaylah’s Academy years will be an experience. Expect more DadScotty and fun nicknames. Also, I have a mad crush on Illia from The Motion Picture, so Kiva is a Deltan classmate that Jaylah will get to know soon enough. She’s a real peach! I swear!


End file.
